Tuesday, January 31, 2017

This is my stop during the book blitz for the Amanda Lester Series by Paula Berinstein. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 30 January till 5 February. You can see the tour schedule here

About the Amanda Lester series

The Amanda Lester series is a Middle Grade/ Young Adult Mystery series.

The series contains 5 books so far and at least 2 more books are planned. The first four books are also available bundled in a box set. And the first book is also available in audiobook format. The currently published books are:

Amanda Lester wouldn’t be caught dead going into the family business. Her ancestor, Sherlock Holmes’s colleague Inspector G. Lestrade, is a twit. Nevertheless her parents refuse to see his flaws, and she’s going to a secret English school for the descendants of famous detectives whether she likes it or not.

When Amanda arrives at the dreaded school, she considers running away—until she and her new friends discover blood and weird pink substances in odd places. At first they’re not sure whether these oddities mean anything, but when Amanda’s father disappears and the cook is found dead with her head in a bag of sugar, they’re certain that crimes are taking place.

Now Amanda must embrace her destiny and uncover the truth. The only snag is that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty, a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty, might be involved, and he doesn’t like nosy little girls interfering in his business.

I will admit that much of the technology in the Amanda Lester, Detective stories is exaggerated. That’s because although Amanda’s story isn’t fantasy, it is fanciful. The characters, the world, the props are larger than life. And so you get weapons based on exploding sugar dust, sentient crystals, hackers who can manipulate matter, and peacocks whose feathers contain invisible messages.It may surprise you to know that many of those crazy things actually have a basis in fact. I know because I research each and every one of them. The acoustic levitator I invented for the orange book, for example, really does exist. There is a way to levitate matter using sound waves—just not quite as powerful or easy to use as I’ve made mine. Sugar dust is explosive—people have actually died in such blasts. There are life forms with crystalline components like my orange crystals. Odor-controlled locks like the ones in the purple book do exist. And there are color formations in feathers that are visible only in the ultraviolet spectrum. Because I create fanciful technology in my books, I’ve had a bit of trouble pinpointing their genre. Are they mystery/fantasy? Well, there’s an element of fantasy in being able to deform a computer screen remotely. The same is true of Simon Binkle’s history machine, which allows him to pick up vibrations from the past and recreate the events that caused them. Both technologies are pretty fantastical. And yet there’s no magic in the series, no witches or dragons, despite mentions of potential wizards and zombies, so maybe fantasy isn’t the right genre.If not fantasy then, are the books mystery/science fiction? Possibly. While some of the devices, such as Simon’s cell phone microscope, are in fact real, others, such as Lovelace Earful’s gold brain-manipulating glasses from Book 6, haven’t yet been invented, but might be. Yet there are no spaceships, dinosaur resurrections, or time travel, so how can I call my series science fiction? The way I see it, the Amanda stories are mysteries for people who love letting their imaginations soar. Notice that I didn’t say kids or children, I said people. That’s because you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy Amanda and the fanciful world she inhabits. All you need is a sense of fun and the willingness to suspend your disbelief. It’s too bad Amazon doesn’t have a category for mystery/imagination, because that, to me, describes the stories to a T. Tomorrow I will discuss how I create the physical environments of Amanda’s world.

All five books in the series

Buy the whole series on Amazon!

The first Amanda Lester book is free and book 2, 3, 4 and 5 are only 0.99$ per book or can be bought as part of a box set. Links to each book on Amazon are below:

The Amanda Lester series is also available on other vendor sites. Get the books on B&N, Kobo, iTunes and Smashwords.

About the Author:

Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.

After a devastating accident, Barret Atkins has accepted a quiet, solitary existence. His life is turned upside down, when he finds the badly injured Kansas Smith, left for dead in a case of mistaken identity. As Kansas begins to recover, Barret must face some deep scars of his own. When the couple begin to fall for each other, their lives spin into a revival of past hurts, jealousies, and betrayals, causing Barret to put a halt to their budding relationship.

Barret’s hesitation causes his best friend-turned vicious rival, Duncan Craig, to pursue a friendship with Kansas. Where will this leave Barret? Can they all hold on long enough to escape Kansas’s attacker, and will they ever conquer their own inner demons intent on keeping them apart.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Kathryn Olsen (aka Kaki) has been to 17 countries on five continents. After an illustrious upbringing in Massachusetts, she studied English at Brigham Young University. As a result, she's been known to find theological flaws in zombie lore and Peruvian sacrifice metaphors in Superman movies. When not working a desk job or overanalyzing media, she enjoys writing about anything from possessed iPhones to dragon-smuggling androids and has been called upon to lecture on writing by various organizations. Her debut novel, Swan and Shadow, was published in March, 2016.

After an illustrious upbringing in Massachusetts, she studied English at Brigham Young University. As a result, she's been known to find theological flaws in zombie lore and Peruvian sacrifice metaphors in Superman movies.

"Aislin is cursed. A regular college student at night and a swan during the day, Aislin can only break the curse by finding her true love. But when her beloved discovers the truth, will his fear override their love? This modern adaptation of Swan Lake will help you discover what love really means."

10. I was a fanfiction writer long before I thought to write a novel. In fact, one reader complained that my 300-page book was too short and I realized that she had last read a Star Wars story that reached 365,000 words.

9. I live in a small apartment with thrift store furniture and my major splurges are all on trips. This is how I’ve been to seventeen countries across five continents.

8. I am useless without a deadline and a reward, so every time I set a goal, I get excited for what I’ll earn by accomplishing it. For my last manuscript, I got Moroccan food. If I meet this year’s goal, I’m buying a new laptop.

7. An octogenarian friend bought my fairy tale for her husband’s birthday. I was worried he wouldn’t like it until he threatened to kill me if I never wrote the sequel.

6. One summer, I was the choreographer for a musical revue. One of my soloists was a girl who worked for a publisher and when it came to publish my book, I discovered that she had been asked to do the cover.

5. I first realized that i wanted to be a novelist while shelving books in high school. I fantasized about having people check my book out and I have pictures of my book in libraries.

4. I did work with an editor at Cedar Fort, but my first reader is always my roommate. She has a minor in editing and returns my manuscripts with edits, suggestions and plenty of inside jokes. She also does this for fun, not profit.

3. I have a goal to learn ten instruments. So far I play five well (violin, viola, piano, handbells, organ) and one very badly (I haven’t found a cello teacher yet, but have my own instrument).

2. In middle school, I learned Latin. In high school, they wouldn’t let me take Latin, so I learned Greek for two years. Then I transferred to a school with more language options and they told me I had too many foreign language credits. Then I became a missionary and express myself better in Spanish than English at times. Currently, I’m learning German.

1. I have yet to write something I’m embarrassed by, but I have a short story about a tyrannical theocracy that four people have ever read because very few people would get the spirit it’s intended in.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page

I'm so excited for Condemn Me Not by Heather B. Moore and will be sharing weekly memes until it becomes available on March 14, 2017! Be sure to pre-order your copy today!

USA Today Bestselling author Heather B. Moore brings the life of her 10th great-grandmother to center stage. Susannah North Martin, accused of witchcraft in 1692, joins five women in the Salem Jail, all sentenced to death for their crimes. Amidst tragedy, Susannah finds hope and compassion as she remembers a well-loved life, and readers discover that love reaches far beyond the grave as Susannah faces the magistrates in Salem.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Saints at Devil's Gate: Landscapes Along the Mormon Trail, by Laura Allred Hurtado and Bryon C. Andreasen; Featuring the Artwork of John Burton, Josh Clare and Bryan Mark Taylor
2016, 143p, LDS Non-fiction
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not affect my review in any way

A beautiful art book from the Church Historian's Press, publisher of The Joseph Smith Papers.

From 1846 to 1869, some 70,000 Mormon pioneers traveled the Mormon Trail, the 1,300-mile route from Illinois and Iowa to Salt Lake City. In 2011, three award-winning Mormon painters decided to visit sites all along the historic route and capture the landscapes in oil. This full-color art book, featuring 52 landscape paintings, presents the fruit of their five-year project. Each painting is paired with journal entries or reminiscences from pioneers who made the journey. Essays by the authors and an artist interview illuminate both the art and the history of the trail.

The book gives written and visual context to the pioneers’ experience of the trail, bears witness to the land as it exists today, and links the experience of pioneers to the challenges of today.

Note: This book was published to accompany an exhibition of the same name at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City. Therefore, distribution of the book has been limited. Copies are available at the museum gift store, at store.lds.org, and at some independent bookstores in Utah.

I enjoy reading books about the pioneers and learning more about them. This book is beautifully done! In 2011, three artists visited sites along the Mormon Trail and painted landscapes for this compilation. Each of the landscapes have a title and quotes by pioneers who made the journey. As I read them, I felt the sadness, grief, despair, hope, praise and faith of these amazing people. I laughed when I read the quote of the woman who talked about how pretty the scenery was, but couldn't write any more because the mosquitoes were driving her mad. Tears filled my eyes as I read one man's description of the devastating effects of cholera. He said they saw many graves, as well as wagons, tires, clothing, guns, bedding, boots and shoes scattered along the road. The book starts with the Curator's Essay (Laura Allred Hurtado) and then the Historian's Essay (Bryon C. Andreasen) which gives background and insight into this project. Then at the end there's an interview with the three artists conducted by Laura Allred Hurtado. I enjoyed learning about why they got involved with this project and what we can learn from the pioneers to help us in our lives today. This is a fantastic faith-promoting book that I will keep on display and look at often!

Friday, January 27, 2017

Petticoat Spy, by Carol Warburton
2017, 296p, Clean Historical Suspense/Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not affect my review in any way

Colonial Massachusetts, 1775
Abigail Stowell is a rarity for her time. The comely young woman is educated, outspoken, and attuned to the charged political climate around her. She is a staunch Patriot. In short, she is a rebel. So when Gideon Whitlock, an avowed Tory, rides into her village, Abby is not only put off by his politics and arrogance but is also annoyed by her undeniable attraction to him.

When she observes a clandestine meeting between her Patriot father and Gideon, Abby soon realizes that in a world divided by loyalties, not everything is as it seems. Soon she is drawn deeper into political intrigue than she ever dreamed possible. And just as feelings begin to heat up between Abby and Gideon, the shot heard round the world ignites the beginning of war between the colonists and the British redcoats. There is no time for hesitation, and Abby finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue, treachery, and terror. Lives hang in the balance, and Abby will stop at nothing to support the Patriot movement—but will her allegiance to the cause mean losing the man she loves?

This is one of my favorite time periods to read about and I loved this book! Tensions are high in Boston as the Liberty Men are bent on revolution. The colonists are taking sides. Abigail meets Gideon early on and believes he is on the opposing side. She witnesses a meeting that has her thinking twice about all she thought she knew. She then figures out a way to be helpful and has to determine if it's worth the risk.Abigail was intelligent and brave. She was passionate about helping the rebels and wanted to be closer to Gideon so she came up with a plan. It was dangerous and plenty could go wrong but she was determined to see it through. I enjoyed the book from the beginning, but at this point, I was hooked and couldn't read it fast enough to see what would happen. There was a lot of suspense and tension and her life depended on her playing her part to perfection.This book is full of great characters! I didn't like all of them but enjoyed getting to know each one of them. There are characters to cheer for and against. There's plenty of action and suspense, and the romance is sweet. It's a great read for anyone that enjoys clean, historical romance!

If, like a cat, I had nine lives, I would live eight of them in the past. When I was young, I loved to dress up in long skirts and pretend I lived in olden times and had wonderful adventures. As an adult, I put my heroines in my historical novels in long skirts and take them on adventures all over the world as they are rescued by aborigines, help a slave escape to freedom, or become a spy. My imagination still whispers tales to me, and who knows what wonderful adventures and plots I'll come up with next maybe the fate of a young woman who is born on the night of an eerie moon eclipse!

Welcome to First Line Friday! I got this idea from my friend Kathy over at Bookworm Nation. This meme is easy to do: simply pick up the book you're currently reading and share the very first line! There are some really good first lines out there. They grab you and suck you right into the story and make you want to keep reading. So, my selection for this week is:

Petticoat Spy by Carol Warburton

Colonial Massachusetts, 1775Abigail
Stowell is a rarity for her time. The comely young woman is educated,
outspoken, and attuned to the charged political climate around her. She
is a staunch Patriot. In short, she is a rebel. So when Gideon Whitlock,
an avowed Tory, rides into her village, Abby is not only put off by his
politics and arrogance but is also annoyed by her undeniable attraction
to him.

When she observes a clandestine meeting between her
Patriot father and Gideon, Abby soon realizes that in a world divided by
loyalties, not everything is as it seems. Soon she is drawn deeper into
political intrigue than she ever dreamed possible. And just as feelings
begin to heat up between Abby and Gideon, the shot heard round the
world ignites the beginning of war between the colonists and the British
redcoats. There is no time for hesitation, and Abby finds herself
thrust into a world of intrigue, treachery, and terror. Lives hang in
the balance, and Abby will stop at nothing to support the Patriot
movement—but will her allegiance to the cause mean losing the man she
loves?

First Line:

"It was Ben, our hired boy, who put my nerves on edge that February morning, coming to meet me with a finger to his lips as I crossed the backyard to feed the chickens."

This is the book I'm reviewing today. I was lame last week and simply forgot to post this (remember, this is the first time I'm attempting a weekly meme on my blog). I love this time period and thought this book was fantastic! Be sure to check out my review!

So, what's your pick for this week? If you want to participate grab the logo and post your own First Line Friday entry on your blog and then leave your link in the comments. And make sure you link your post back to Bookworm Nation! If you don't have a blog, just leave the title, author and first line in the comment section below.﻿

I hope you’ll enjoy reading about the Sweeney sisters as much I’ve enjoyed writing about them. They are real women faced with everyday challenges, struggling to balance the demands of career and home while remaining true to themselves.

Annie checked the clock on the dashboard. She had eight minutes to change into her work clothes, grab a snack, and still be on time for her after-school job at Captain Sweeney’s Seafood Market. She turned off the main road and zoomed down the wooded driveway toward the house. When she rounded the last bend, she saw Heidi leaning against the hood of her vintage turquoise Mustang.

Annie yanked her arm away. “The decision was right for you at the time. A very selfish decision, I might add. You took off to Hollywood to chase your dreams of becoming a big movie star, and left me with a man who didn’t know how to scramble an egg or balance his checkbook, let alone raise a little girl.”

Annie stalked off toward her car, but Heidi teetered after her on spiked-heel booties. “You and I were getting along so well together back in December, before you found out who I was. We were becoming friends. We share so many things in common. I know we can build a life together based on that friendship. You can come live with me. I recently signed a lease on the second-floor apartment in a newly renovated old home down on Broad Street, on the Battery. I think you’ll like it. I even have an extra bedroom for you.”

“I’m not your baby! You abandoned your baby sixteen years ago.” Shoving Heidi out of the way, Annie jumped into her car and struggled to fasten her seat belt. As she shot off down the driveway, she watched her mother slowly disappear in the rearview mirror. She careened onto Creekside Drive with barely a glance in either direction. Tears blurring her vision, she smacked her palms against the steering wheel. “Ugh! I hate her!”

He engaged his blue lights, preparing to pull her over, when the accident happened. Tires screeched and a horn blasted as the minivan swerved into Annie’s lane. The sounds of metal crunching and glass shattering filled the air as her Honda hit the front end of the minivan, bounced off the curb, flipped over, and landed on its roof.

“Come here, you.” He pulled Sam from her chair and held her at arm’s length, taking her in from the top of her cropped blonde head to her dark-washed jeans and the pointy toes of her cowboy boots, relieved to see she hadn’t changed since breakfast. Sensing the worry behind her deep blue eyes, he wrapped his arms around her slight frame and buried his face in the soft spot at the crook of her neck. “You never know when you wake up in the morning what the day will bring.”

"Tangle of Strings is another fine episode in Ms. Farley’s engaging series but I do suggest the series be read in order because each book builds on the one before and it’s the best way to fully understand the Sweeneys and other people in their lives. I’m sorry to say this appears to be the end of the Sweeney family saga but Ms. Farley has at least left us with the possibility of future installments and I’ll be very happy if that happens."

And don't forget to enter the giveaway below...

Tangle of Strings

(Sweeney Sisters #4)by Ashley Farley

Women's Fiction, Romance

Paperback & ebook, 240 pages
January 18th 2017

A nearly tragic accident leads to a discovery that rocks the Sweeney family’s world

Some families never resolve conflicts. Not so with the Sweeneys. Their sense of family, their love for one another, and their willingness to forgive have always triumphed and brought them back together. Until now. The latest crisis threatens to tear the family apart and crumble the foundation that has always proved itself rock solid.

At the heart of the matter are sixteen-year-old Annie Bethune and her boyfriend, Cooper. At stake are their dreams for the future. As to these dreams, no one in the family holds back when asserting an opinion.

Annie soon begins to feel like a puppet on strings with all those she loves telling her what to do. When those strings become tangled and a family feud develops, Annie, unable to bear the pressure, runs away. Straight into the arms of danger.

Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and packed with Southern charm and memorable characters, HER SISTER'S SHOES portrays three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.

Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

For fans of Elin Hildebrand, HER SISTER'S SHOES is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.

There's a stranger in town. And it’s no coincidence when she shows up uninvited at a Sweeney family wedding. All eyes are drawn to this urchin who seems to have washed in with the tide. Before the night is over, the doe-eyed waif charms young and old with her street smarts and spunky personality. For better or worse, Annie Dawn is here to stay.

The memorable Sweeney sisters from Her Sister’s Shoes have returned with more suspense and family drama to hold you spellbound until the dramatic conclusion. As she approaches the next stage of her life as an empty nester, Jackie is torn between expanding her fledgling design business and spending these last precious months with her boys before they fly the coop. Her own worst enemy, Sam is terrified of making a commitment to Eli Marshall, handsome police officer, true love of her life. Her resolve is tested when a ghost from her past shows up after nearly two decades. Faith nurtures her seven-year-old daughter who is recovering from the trauma of her abusive father. Is the threat in the past, or is there more danger on the horizon? The sisters seek guidance from their mother, Lovie, a true Southern matriarch who shows them how to respond to adversity with grace and dignity.

Things are heating up in the Lowcountry. The Sweeney sisters remind us, once again, that being a part of a family is about more than sharing the same DNA.

Wedding bells will soon be ringing in the Lowcountry. All Sam Sweeney wants is to marry her man on Christmas Eve surrounded by family and friends. But emerging complications, some humorous and some not so humorous, threaten to converge and derail the best-laid plans during the busy stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Amidst the chaos—dealing with real estate, planning a wedding, running a seafood market, honoring traditions, and contending with teenagers—even the weather rears its head when the weatherman forecasts a white Christmas. Never has family support been more needed, but will it be enough to restore order and save the day?

Escape to the Lowcountry this Christmas where romance, intrigue, and holiday merrymaking await you.

Ashley Farley is the author of the bestselling series, the Sweeney Sisters Series. Ashley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you've read the last word, then she's done her job.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshiped, the man she could not save.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

Ashley loves to hear from her readers. Feel free to visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashleywfarley or twitter.com/ashleywfarley.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

The Viscount of Maisons-Laffitte, by Jennie Goutet
2016, 292p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=3.5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not affect my review in any way

Single moms are not supposed to fall for rich French aristocrats!

There's just no way he will ever choose her.

Is there such a thing as Prince Charming? Chastity didn't take a teaching job in France to find hers, but a woman can dream, n'est-ce pas? If the father of one of her students--the Viscount Charles Jean Anne Monorie de Brase--is the best local example of princes, Charming or Otherwise, Chastity is ready to put aside any thought of falling in love again.

She's had enough of his arrogance and would prefer him to keep his distance, yet it seems there is no avoiding each other. With the ongoing pressure of a repentant ex-boyfriend, a nefarious drug dealer, and an art heist that spans the decades, Chastity and the viscount are thrown together by circumstances she would soon rather forget.

As the intimacy between Charles and Chastity deepens, they must decide if their love is enough to bridge the gap between their disparate worlds, and if happily ever after can exist outside of fairy tales.

Chastity has been a single mother ever since her son, Thomas, was born. Thomas is now 7-years-old and his father, Marc, recently out of prison, has contacted her, wanting to be part of his life. She's hesitant but decides to meet with him and give him the chance to be a father. Chastity works at a French private school and is nervous about talking to the Viscount (Charles) about some problems his son is having. They get off to a rocky start when the Viscount dismisses her concerns. Through a series of events, they are brought together again and need to figure out if a relationship is worth pursuing.This book had a mix of things I liked and things I didn't like. What I didn't like is that there were lots of characters and the points of view jumped all over the place. Each time it switched, it took a little bit of time for me to become immersed in the story again since I had to figure out who was speaking and where they fit in. I also thought Charles and Chastity could have had more chemistry.I loved that this story took place in France! I don't read many contemporary books that take place in other countries so it was fun to experience some French culture. I also loved that there was a mystery. I was able to figure part of it out early on but there were still some surprises at the end. Charles was gruff at first but his decisions made more sense as I got to know him. Charles and Chastity live different lives so it was interesting to see how they were able to cross paths. The second half of the book was more enjoyable than the first half.Overall, I would say I enjoyed this book! It's a clean romance with a bit of mystery. There is drug use and mild violence (nothing graphic).

Jennie Goutet lives just outside of Paris with her husband and three children, and she spends her time writing, cooking, chauffeuring small people about, and despairing over a weedy garden.

She is the author of romance novel, The Viscount of Maisons-Laffitte, the award-winning memoir Stars Upside Down (formerly called A Lady in France), and the children’s book Happy People Everywhere. She is a contributing author to Sunshine After the Storm, and That's Paris - an Anthology of Love, Life and Sarcasm in Paris. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year pick three times, and her writing has appeared on Huffington Post, Queen Latifah’s website, Mamalode, BonBonBreak and BlogHer.

She blogs at http://aladyinfrance.com about faith, food, and life in Paris with her husband and three children. She also has an author website at jenniegoutet.com, which doesn't get updated as often as it should.